The rising cost of fuel and energy is front and centre in Irish farming right now. When your costs depend on global supply chains you can't control, you're exposed. Solar PV doesn't fix everything, but it hands you back control over one of your biggest ongoing costs.

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When margins are tight, every fraction of a cent saved on production costs matters. And when prices recover, those same savings drop straight to the bottom line. Solar is one of the few investments that works in your favour no matter what the market does.

In Ireland, dairy cows consume an average of 350 kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. At current electricity prices, factoring in a mix of day and night rates, this works out at approximately €90 per cow per year. The vacuum pump, milk cooling and water heating account for almost 80% of this. On a 100-cow herd, that is an annual electricity bill of around €9,000. Dairy farmers with solar installed by ProSolar have seen electricity cost reductions averaging 80%, putting €7,200 back in the farmer's pocket each year, or 1.3 cent per litre (c/l) produced.

In its Outlook 2026 report, Teagasc forecasts a net margin of just 11.5c/l for the average dairy farm, down 45% on 2025. And that was based on an assumption that fuel prices would fall this year. Ireland generates a significant share of its electricity from gas, so when fossil fuel prices rise, your electricity bill rises with them.

A conservative 1c/l reduction in production costs from solar represents almost 9% of that forecast margin, every year, for 20-plus years. And unlike grid electricity, the cost of sunlight is not subject to commodity markets.

But it's not just about today's bills. Battery storage paired with solar dramatically increases self-consumption, meaning more of what you generate stays on your farm rather than being exported at a fraction of what you pay to buy in. On-farm electricity consumption is only going to increase. Farmers generating their own power today are building infrastructure that will only become more valuable tomorrow.

The SEAI Non-Domestic Grant offers the most practical route for farmers ready to move. Instant approval comes before works begin, administration is straightforward and any inspection relates solely to the solar installation. Combined with VAT reclaim and accelerated capital allowances, a sole trader can still achieve effective cost reductions of up to 60%. You get generating faster, with less hassle, no uncertainty.

Being able to generate your own electricity is power, in every sense of the word.

ProSolar is a family business with 40-plus years of engineering heritage through RVR energy technology, offering practical, no-nonsense guidance valued by farmers. Our agri team is ready to talk.

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